Wow! That was not the story I was prepared to read! [b:Above All Else|44232443|Above All Else|Dana Alison Levy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1577196985l/44232443._SY75_.jpg|68763638]'s description made me think I was going in for a cute YA romance while trekking up a crazy mountain, but it is SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. Don't get me wrong, it is a YA novel (in that the main characters are 18 and you have the whole waiting-on-college-letters-ahhhh! trope) and there IS indeed romance involved, but definitely not in the way I thought there would be and I actually love that. Look at these super vague descriptions as to not give away the plot twists! Let's just say they exist and they are what make this book so so so special.

Anyway.

I loved Tate. I loved Rosie. I got annoyed by Tate. I got annoyed by Rosie. I fell back in love with Tate. I fell back in love with Rosie. Stop messing with my heart, kids! But to get serious here, Dana Alison Levy wrote well-rounded characters that are complex and, well, realistic. None of the story-lines were over dramatized. What these characters were out doing on that mountain was intense and dangerous and life changing and Levy made sure not to make that fact the secondary part of the novel. I think that's what I love the most about this book - the challenge of climbing Everest and everything that comes with that was the MAIN plot of this book. And let me tell you, it sucks you IN. I was at the figurative edge of my seat NEEDING to know what happens next as if I was reading a thriller novel! So much fun (in the 'I'm crying because so many heartbreaking intense things are happening right now and I can't handle it way').

One thing I'd say is that the description for Above All Else probably needs some beefing up because I think this is a way bigger book that it leads on.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an advance e-copy in exchange for this review!

I enjoyed this so much and found it a super rewarding read, well-paced, with high stakes and great characterization.

I feel like this book could have been more.
This story is about Tate and Rosie, two High School Seniors who are best friends and have grown up with a love of climbing. Their parents both have climbed with them and fully support them in their interest. It is read in both points of view, with the primary story taking place at the start of their journey to climb Mount Everest. While part of Tate's being from a climb 4 months During this last climb Tate hit some bad ice and fell through a crevice, his ice pick being secure is possibly the only thing that saved his life. He is now struggling to mentally prepare for the new climb and is scared.
Rosie is having some trouble of her own. She always dreamed of climbing the mountain with her mother, but recently her mom was diagnosed with MS and can no longer climb. So she is determined to do this for both of them.
The story emphasizes that a little thing going wrong can be exaggerated and have big consequences when climbing Everest. So now we follow them while they are getting prepared at Basecamp and then slowly working their way up. I won't give away too much more of what happens, but as this book read so fast I didn't feel like I had as much time to get invested with most of the characters. Reaching the summit was not as momentous moment as it would lead you to believe it would be. The more important stuff is happening closer to base and really makes you think of how dangerous things are, even for those who train for years.
I gave this a 3 rating, because I could tell how much was put into the accurate description of things with climbing Everest and preparing when you get there, but it just did not pull me into the story like the description led me to hope.
Thank you Netgalley and Charlesbridge Teen for an Digital Advanced Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really loved this. I've read a fair amount about people who've climbed Everest and I really appreciated the teen perspectives here, and I especially appreciated the Author's Note at the end (and completely agree). Really great read for any hikers/climbers, as well as those who *don't* want to climb.

So this is a "Into thin air" with teenagers ...meh

I skimmed my way through this book. I tried to get into it a few times, and I failed at every attempt. I didn't want to DNF it, so I had to resort to the next best thing.
I think the writing was okay, and it has potentially interesting characters, but none of it intrigued me enough. It wasn't for me.


*Copy received through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review
*Rating: 2/5 stars

I can't rate this. I didn't get far enough to be able to give it a rating. It was just a bit too slow and uninteresting to me.

I think it has potential and people will like this, but it just wasn't for me. It didn't move fast enough for my liking and I couldn't connect with any characters.
The layout of the ARC definitely didn't help either.

Actual Rating 4,75.

Thank you Edelweiss for giving me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

The story focuses on Rose and Tate. Bestfriends since forever they love climbing together alongside Rose's mom and Tate's dad.

As every climber's dream, Mount Everest was their goal so they decide it's time to climb. Sadly it is witouth Mami ( Rose's mom) since she is sick.

Tate is hesitant to go since he had a bad fall 6 months prior while Rose feels guilty because she is going and not Mami when it was her dream.Besides all of this they are dealing with their own problems such as college .
Tate struggles a lot with who he is after that fall. Is climbing truly something he wants to keep doing?


I will dare to say that the book is about the relantionships and how they develop through all this journey. The side characters Yoon Su and Luc were trully amazing and it was really sweet how all of they bonded because of what started for all with a hobby.

It is amazing to see how much these people risk and how much danger they put themselves into to complete their goals. The author tells us everything there is to do right before someone climbs the Everest and how mentally and physically draining it is. She also tells us about what goes behind all of that. How Sherpas work to be able to amke the routes and how they put their life in danger to earn money. Ladders. Ropes. Oxygen. Death. Injuries. There is a lot more than we now about this world and i would like everyone to read this and learn a little bit more.

I am obsessed with mountains, so I knew I would love this book in one way or another. While the writing was great, I did find Rose and Tate's tone and voice a little too immature and it sometimes pulled me out of the story. The plot was also a little slow in some parts, but it still took me only two days to read. This story will stay with me forever, I think, because it's sparked an interest in a whole new genre for me - I want to read more books about mountain climbing! It's just so fascinating seeing the training and trauma people put themselves through just to reach the summit of a mountain. The themes of this book were so strong and it's what captivated me the most: Rose and Tate's motivation for climbing, the realities of PTSD, what the mind and body go through in order to survive, why people climb mountains in the first place. (Also, Tate is my son and I love him). SUPER INTERESTING. And what I loved the most was that the consequences of their choices and their journey and the brutal environment of the mountain were very real. I was just so impressed by this and I'm excited that I've found a new niche genre that I love lol.